Charming the Snake
by Rabid Moogle
Summary: In HBP, Malfoy is hiding something. He had to go through a lot. This is the story of Draco through an original character's eyes, a fellow Slytherin and friend to Draco. Please Read and Rate!


SERIOUS HPB SPOILERS! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Isn't that a surprise XO However, I do own Maria Romano and this story. No stealing!

Rant: After reading 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' I must say that I am disappointed. The Harry/Ginny romance sucked (how generic… 'No! I love you too much! You're in danger!' 'But I don't care!' 'But I do!') and there seemed a low amount of story actually about the school. That Ron/Lavender snogging was annoying too. It came from nowhere. Snape killing Dumbledore was interesting…glad to know his true intentions (though Harry gets to do a big 'I told you so!'). And hey, it might not even be Snape's true side (Dumbledore probably knew) Poor Draco though ( Yeah he's usually mean, but he **didn't** kill Dumbledore. And Harry was fairly annoying sputtering "It's Draco!" every 2 seconds. Draco obsessed anyone? XP

The Story: When I finished HBP I couldn't help but wonder how Draco felt during all of this. Here's HBP in the view of a Slytherin- and a friend of Draco.

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Maria Romano walked gingerly along the streets of Diagon Alley. Her grandmother, more of a 'mother' ever since Maria's parents had died, had sent Maria off with a 'come back when you're done' as they had entered The Leaky Cauldron. Maria had just nodded as she walked out the back door, her 6th year list of items she needed.

Her first stop was Gringott's bank. She entered the large building and walked up to the first Goblin that was available.

"Vault 337, please," she said as the Goblin looked at her through its beady narrow eyes.

The Goblin nodded and soon they were hurling under the streets of London.

20 minutes later she was standing outside the bank with a bag of coins. Money wasn't too much of an issue. Her parents had left a good amount of money behind. Her thoughts became darker as she remembered how her parents had gotten the money. Oh sure, everyone knew just how the Romano's had gotten their millions of Knuts and Galleons. They just wouldn't admit to it.

As Maria walked farther down the streets she looked into various shop windows. Potion ingredients… she had enough. Broomsticks… she wasn't a Quidditch player. Animals… her cat, Toffee, was waiting back at her house.

She stopped in front of Olivander's, memories of when she had first got her wand flooding to her.

'Try this one. 9 inches, mahogany, unicorn hair core. Very stiff.'

Maria gave it a flick, smoke erupting from the tip. That had been her 5th or 6th wand. Mr. Olivander had just frowned as he took back the wand. He scratched his head in thought before laughing a dry little laugh.

'Of course. Why didn't I think of this before?' He reached onto a shelf and brought down a slim box. Uncapping it he handed the wand to Maria. '10 inches, maple, phoenix tail feather for a core, quite flexible."

Maria had given this wand a flick, expecting smoke like the others. Instead, a star shot into the air, emitting a layer of sparkles that had settled into her hair and onto her shoulders.

Olivander had nodded. 'Should of known. Just like your parents. A few of their… acquaintances to… I was hoping it wouldn't be so…'

At that time Maria had been confused. She just knew her parents had died. When she asked her grandmother, her grandmother had just said "Don't you mind." and continued cleaning. Fourth year, Dumbledore told her the truth. Actually, more like the whole story.

"Oi, its Malfoy! The little git…"

Maria turned her head towards the voice which had broken her deep thoughts. She knew that voice…

"What is he up to?"

Maria knew that one too.

"He's just buying **robes** Harry. He's not attempting to kill anyone."

Maria smiled as she heard the last voice. She had gotten to know Hermione, the smartest student in 6th year (maybe even the whole school), in various classes. Mainly Runes, although there had been odd moments throughout the years when Hermione had rows with Harry and Ron. They were friends, not close ones, but still friends.

As the 3 students entered Madame Malkin's robe shop, Maria walked across the street to gaze at items from the shops across the way. Anything major that happened would be heard.

Minutes passed before Draco Malfoy walked out of the shop with his mother in tow.

"Come on Draco, we can get your robes from another shop."

Draco sneered as his mother spoke, following her nonetheless. As he passed by Maria, his eyes flickered briefly over her face and into her hazel colored eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched as he compressed a smile. Maria smiled slightly at him before he averted his gaze back to his mother who was still talking to an uninterested Draco.

Maria walked up to Madame Malkin's and pulled upon the door as Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked out. Hermione smiled up at Maria before following the 2 boys outside.

"Yes?" came Madame Malkin's voice.

Maria turned towards the robe-selling witch and asked for new school robes and dress robes.

As Madam Malkin fitted her, pins poking here and there, Maria thought about Draco. He was a friend, but, yet again not too close. Defense Against the Dark Arts buddies here and there, partners every once in awhile in charms, mild friends that sometimes took the friendship past the classrooms. She still had only met him once in Hogsmeade. That was third year. And then he had invited everyone. Something about revenge against 'that twit Potter'. Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin, had pushed her and Draco more apart. Jealousy, of course. It was as if she was the only one worthy of Draco's attention and had given Maria a broad grin whenever Draco spoke to her. The look on her face when she squeezed next to Draco at the meeting was enough to make anyone mad, especially Maria.

Maria was more of a loner, preferring her own company. Not to mention she had a smart comeback when angered. She wasn't past revenge. Fourth year revenge was especially great. When she found out Pansy was going to the Yule Ball with Draco, she was already angered. But the smug grin on her face as she walked past Maria (who was hooked onto the arm of a Durmstrang boy), really got Maria's blood boiling. Sure it was good enough to see Pansy sob when Malfoy shrugged her off ("I only went with you because I didn't get another offer sooner!") was good alone. The revenge was even better.

_Then again…_ Maria thought with a smirk worthy of Draco,_ he does love attention. He's probably just playing her like he does everyone else._ With that last though she winced._ Does that mean he's playing me too?_

Madame Malkin soon finished and Maria paid for her new robes. Her next stop was Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The owners had a cult following. Years from now the Weasley twin's historic tale of rebellion against a certain teacher named Umbridge would be told. Their joke shop was sure to get a cult following as well. They could perform magic well enough. It was just a matter of them wanting to.

As Maria pushed open the door, wild screams and giggles met her ears. The shop was packed with people. Fred and George walked around offering examples and suggesting items. A female at the cash register rang up the sails. It was no secret that they were booming in business. As she walked down an aisle Fred (or was it George?) walked over to her.

"So, what are you looking for? We're having a special on our Hogwarts-famous Skiving Snackboxes."

Maria paled slightly at the suggestion. Those things had found their ways into everyone's hands. Her favorite female Pansy had given her one as 'joke'. She had forgotten to give her the remedial end of course. That was an unpleasant night for Maria as she had had to spend the night in the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey unable to cure her right away. The only plus was that Draco had visited her.

Noticing Maria's paling face the twin led her over to a 'girls section' (considering it was bright pink). A group of girls stood around fluffy little creatures ("Pygmy Puffs!") but Maria quickly dismissed the thought. Toffee would assassinate it. Walking farther down the aisle he stopped at a box with a man and women on it.

"Long, vivid, detail-filled daydreams! Sure to last through one class. Farther down we have love potions and other junk young romantic witches will love. If you need any help just ask me or my brother George (so it **was** Fred!)"

Maria picked up the box of daydreams on casually looked at it. Daydreams… she had enough of those. Any more and she'd be lost in a dreamland. She placed it back down before strolling down towards the love potions. No doubt they would work, a Weasley twin **did **make it. She looked curiously at it before turning around. She'd get her partner fair and square. Besides, it was sure to wear off sometime right?

"Hello **_Maria_**," came a high-pitched voice from behind her.

Maria turned around to see a snooty looking Pansy Parkinson. "Oh… hi Pansy…" Maria tried to sound polite but it came out strained.

Pansy cast an amused look at the love potions. "Looking at love potions now were we? Afraid you can't get anyone to like you? No worries. No one would like you even if they had drunk the whole bottle."

Maria gave Pansy an annoyed look and turned on an obviously fake smile. "What did he say again? 'I only went with you because I didn't get another offer sooner'?" She chuckled as though talking about someone else. "You didn't give him much of a chance though. If I do remember, you were the one who had dashed to him like you were under the Imperius seconds after we heard about it." Maria smiled at Pansy with a superior grin.

"Yeah… Well… You're just jealous!" Pansy sputtered as her cheeks started turning pink with embarrassment and rage.

Maria deftly tuned her out as she heard "It's Malfoy! And he's managed to sneak away from his mum! What's he up to?" Giving Pansy one last superior smile she muttered, "I'm sorry, I must go. Take care!" and turned just in time to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione disappear under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. She waited a few seconds after the door opened before following suit. Maria cast one last look into the shop (noticing Pansy with Love Potion and a box of Daydreams in her arms).

Out in the streets she blinked against the harsh rays of the sun and followed Draco's moving head, stopping casually at store windows to appear as though she was just browsing. Draco turned a corner and as she followed, she suddenly realized that the stores and buildings got darker and darker, as if the painters had run out of color and opted to use black.Draco ducked his blonde head into a store and Maria turned to look at another store's window display. She let out a small scream as she noticed what she was looking at. A jar stood on a glass pedestal, full of angry accusing eyeballs. Every few seconds one would blink. She moved slightly to the right and the multi-colored eyes followed. She looked for a sign to find out just what kind of store this was. A grimy plaque was stuck above the doorway.

"Ingredients for Every Desire," Maria mumbled to herself, "pleasant."

The next jar held something a deep endless red. Blood? Probably, she wouldn't put it past this place. She stared at the last jar. This was something unknown. It swirled around, changing colors every time you blinked. The colors filled Maria with different emotions. _Blink _It turned to red and she felt an intense hatred towards Pansy._ Blink _It turned a bright sunshine yellow and she felt an immense happiness, to what she didn't know._ Blink _It turned a deep blue and she felt a deep sadness, as though she wouldn't be happy again, a lot like the way one felt around a dementor.

She was snapped out of her depression as she heard Ron's voice. "Blimey! He's coming!"

Moments later Draco walked out of the shop, a ticked off expression playing on his features with a hint of happiness. Maria turned back towards the horrid jars a little too quickly as Draco caught the movement out of the corner of his eyes.

"Maria?" Maria turned her head slightly towards Draco's call of her name, her dark-brown curls bouncing as her head stopped. The pale boy walked over to the display as he took in her dark elegant features that he recognized.

"Hi Draco!" she said, giving him a wide smile.

"What are you doing in Knocturn Alley?" he asked as he caught up to her, interestingly checking out the jars.

_Knocturn Alley?_ Maria thought as she looked at Draco"Well, I guess I'm just checking things out."

Malfoy seemed content with this answer as he nodded. "I figured as much. I knew you'd feel the pull sooner or later."

Maria pondered this comment. Pull? What pull? "Say, what's that thing there?" she asked as she pointed towards the swirling bottle.

Both teenagers looked at the bottle, the facial features changing with each color. _Pink_ Their mouths pulled into flirtatious grins, the feeling of 'puppy-love' in their hearts._ Gray_ Apathy. No emotions felt at all. Emptiness, like a vacuum sucked out their souls. Maria couldn't help but think of the Dementor's Kiss. Was this how it felt?_ Black_ Deep brooding frowns on their mouths as dark depression set it._ Orange_ Tiny smiles. They were content with everything. Not exactly happy, but better than sad.

Draco moved his gaze to Maria's face. "A bottle of Emotions. Don't ask how they get there. Sometimes it can be used to make severely depressed people happy again. However," he said as it switched to the dark blue again, "it can send you further into an emotion."

Maria nodded in understanding. She didn't like the bottle. She hated the feeling of having her emotions played with. "I better go. I still need to get my schoolbooks." She gave Draco a small smile as she turned back towards Diagon Alley. "I'll see you in a few days."

As Maria started walking Draco jogged up to her, a faint smile on his face. "I'll go too. I need to get my books as well."

Maria's smile grew wider as his shoulder briefly touched hers as they walked. She breathed in deeply, the scent of pine and something tangy (lemon maybe? She couldn't put her mind on it) flooding into her airways. He always managed to smell good.

They walked on in silence for a few before Maria broke the silence. "So, how's your family?" she asked but instantly regretted it. She silently cursed herself. How could she be so stupid? They had a whole article on his father going to Azkaban in _The Daily Prophet_. "Oh, sorry… I didn't mean to…" she tried to apologize.

Draco frowned. "Don't. My father was stupid enough to land himself in that mind-numbing place. I doubt he'll be there long though. Mother is a wreck. She took it hard. Then of course he…" he trailed off and Maria noticed his cheeks growing slightly pink. Had he almost let something slip?

Maria became lost in thought. Having a father in Azkaban would be hard. Then again, he was the one who landed himself there. He chose his action. A pang of guilt hit her in her stomach. This was reminding her of her own father, mother as well, for various reasons.

Draco broke the silence by announcing "We're here" and leading her through the door. They both picked up their books and paid for them, Maria noticing Draco's bag of gold. No doubt his father had earned money just like her father.

Their thoughts flooded the air, both brooding about family. They walked outside unaware of where their feet where taking them. Draco stopped suddenly and grabbed Maria's hand. "Come on. In here."

Maria looked up through clouded eyes as she looked at their stop. They brightened slightly as she noticed where they were. It was the ice-cream shop. Draco must have realized that these thoughts were doing no good for their relationship.

He led her inside and looked at the menu, thinking for a few before saying, "Go find a seat" and moving ahead in line.

Maria took a seat at a small round table. The sugary scent of the ice-cream cut through her family thoughts. In another few minutes Draco returned with one large sundae. He set it on the table, tossed her a spoon, and sat down opposite her.

"To share. Bloody expensive this place is." He dipped his spoon into the ice-cream and licked it off. As he dipped his spoon into it again the spoonful dropped onto his emerald green robes. "Oh bloody hell!"

Maria giggled and pretty soon they were both laughing. Their laughter was cut short by the arrival of a witch. A witch name Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy let out a fake squeal. "Draco! How are you? Great to see you!"

Draco frowned as he muttered, "Hi Pansy…" and took another bite of ice-cream.

"So whatcha doin?" she asked, cocking her head to the side like a curious puppy.

_A fake puppy…_ Maria thought darkly to herself as she stabbed her spoon into a mound of ice-cream_. She's as much of a puppy as an alligator is…_

Maria thought darkly to herself as she stabbed her spoon into a mound of ice-cream. 

Draco pointed across the table to Maria. "Just sharing some ice-cream with Maria here. You know her of course."

Pansy acknowledged Maria for the first time by glaring sharply at her. "Oh. Hi Maria." She stuck out her tongue at Maria as Draco dipped his head. Maria raised one eyebrow and mouthed the words "Acting like a child?" to the jealous girl.

In an instant Pansy turned sugary sweet again. "Mind if I have any?" she asked, flinging herself onto a chair insanely close to Draco and taking a bite before either one answered.

Draco raised his head to Maria and gave her an "I don't know what she's playing at" look. Pansy took a few more bites of ice-cream before noticing the new silence.

She looked up and set Draco's spoon on the table, standing up quickly. "Well, I think I need to go now. See you later Draco!" She bent down and kissed his cheek, waving as she walked quickly out the ice-cream parlor, still managing to shake her hips.

Maria gave Pansy's departing figure a death look. Draco wiped a napkin over his cheek, scowling. "She thinks she owns me." He said with annoyance. "She can be so irritating."

Maria laughed and let her lips curl into an evil smile. Placing a hand on top of Draco's she gave him a warning, "Don't eat or drink anything she gives you. I saw her buy love potion."

Draco grimaced and kissed Maria lightly on her hand. "Don't worry. I won't let that happen."

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Well, there's my first chapter Yes, long, I know. I'm sorry! I just couldn't stop! Anyways, I hope this doesn't seem to sickening. And yes, if I get good reviews I will continue this. Then you will know the story of Maria's parents (feel free to guess XD) Thanks for reading! I had to fix some typos and stuff which I didn't notice until a day after (no more writing at night for me lol) so if you read it before and thought Preschooler! I'm sorry. I will read it better before I post.


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